Michael Joseph Harris

Ultrafaux Ensemble is a band created by acclaimed guitarist Michael Joseph Harris from Baltimore Maryland to perform original compositions inspired by Django Reinhardt. Harris also leads Hot Club of Baltimore which performs traditional music in the Gypsy jazz style. Ultrafaux has performed twice at the prestigious Festival Django Reinhardt in France and at jazz festivals like Django By The Sea, Charm City Django Jazz Fest, Midwest Gypsy Swingfest, Django-a-gogo, Djangoary, and the annual Django Birthday Festival in Asheville NC to name a few. Harris was featured at two sold out shows for the Napa Valley Jazz Society, The Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, and most recently the Preston Jazz and Improvisation Festival (UK) in 2021 sharing the bill with the legendary Jimmy Rosenberg and Robin Nolan. The repertoire of the group consists mainly of original music but also includes virtuosic French musette waltzes, traditional Swing, and the timeless repertoire of Django Reinhardt. In 2016, Harris founded and has remained Artistic Director for Charm City Django Jazz Fest, the longest running annual Jazz festival in Baltimore. Baltimore Style Magazine named Michael one of the city’s top musicians and he was featured in a full-spread article in The Baltimore Sun newspaper. Michael keeps a busy touring schedule with both bands while building a local music community by leading his weekly Monday Django Jazz Jam and teaching ongoing workshops on the style and technique of Django Reinhardt.

Featured Work

Videos

Music/Audio

Written Works